R2OK!

iwarburton · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 2133 Location: Northumberland

About a year ago, Mrs W bought a SatNav, which we know affectionately as Jeeves.

She absolutely swears by it and, as her work involves quite a bit of car travel to hitherto unvisited destinations and her aptitude for direction is about the same as mine for postgraduate maths, I can see the value of her having it.

But I can't really take to the thing, especially that patronising little voice. And in our home area we've heard instances of drivers ending up in cul-de-sacs etc because they took the instructions too literally.

How have others got on with this particular item of must-have equipment?

Ian.

Rachel · Guest

I like my Sat Nav .. ( Tom Tom) it's dead handy for the very last part of any journey to an unfamiliar place. The problem with them is , people follow the instructions from the start of the journey when quite often they know themselves that there is a better way. I ignore mine until I don't know where I am. The best feature for me is the Navigate Home button....... sometime you just want to get out of a strange place as quickly as possible . One button.. Navigate home... Go ...! I leave the voice instructions turned off. I just use the 3D map and the next turn/junction/roundabout feature and of course the speed camera warnings ......

They don't work very well between tall buildings in London Smile

Behind Geddon's Wall · Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:39 am Post subject:

It's handy having a rolling map on the dash, but for regular journeys where there are no surprises, the value is limited. It should be useful on holiday this year as we are staying some where new.

1 Disadvantage it gives your speed, and as Mrs G is a stickler for speed limits, I might let the battery get low. Smile

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Geddon

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For I am the Rider to the World's End
Bound across the cinder causeway
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Through the fields of oil

Cherskiy · Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:45 am Post subject:

I suppose one might be handy for getting to locations in big cities, but I rely on an extensive collection of OS maps if I ever need to work out where I'm going, plus I'm lucky in that I've got a pretty good sense of direction. I wouldn't rely upon anything that might conk out when I'm up in the hills - at least a map won't.
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nod · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 3558

I have a Navman sat nav which I think is great. It hasn't failed me yet when going to somewhere I haven't been to before, even down to street level BUT they have their problems eg out of date maps, missing streets, telling you to leave motorways, doing U-turns in service stations and then rejoining !!. I particularly like having an ETA etc.

Learn to make use of the advantages they offer but don't turn your brain off and blindly follow them, remember they can't read road signs as well as you.

Very Happy

Ella Sailyour · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 579 Location: Marbella, Spain